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Method and apparatus for providing a cone of silence in a cellular communication system

  • US 5,828,661 A
  • Filed: 05/22/1996
  • Issued: 10/27/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a communications network in which a remote unit communicates with another user via at least one base station, said network including a plurality of base stations controlled by a mobile switching center, a method for defining an area in which communication between a set of said base stations and said remote unit is forbidden at a given frequency comprising the steps of:

  • transmitting from each base station of said plurality of base stations an identifying pilot signal;

    transmitting a silent region identifying pilot signal from an auxiliary antenna collocated with a point to point antenna used to transmit a point to point signal, the auxiliary antenna providing a guard band coverage area which does not greatly overlay a coverage area created by said point to point antenna;

    providing a second auxiliary antenna collocated with said point to point antenna, wherein said second auxiliary antenna provides a second guard band coverage area which does not greatly overlay said coverage area created by said point to point antenna and wherein said guard band coverage area and said second guard band coverage area are located on opposite sides of said coverage area created by said point to point antenna;

    measuring a signal strength of a set of identifying pilot signals corresponding to a neighbor set of base stations at said remote unit;

    measuring a signal strength of said silent region identifying pilot signal at said remote unit;

    reporting a pilot strength measurement report by said remote unit to said mobile switching center via a first base station with which said remote unit has established communication, wherein said pilot strength measurement report comprises a list of measured pilot offsets having a signal strength which exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

    initiating a handoff of said established communication between said remote unit and said first base station if said pilot strength measurement report comprises an entry corresponding to said silent region identifying pilot signal.

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